I finally got the chance to sneak out to play nine holes yesterday and here are my thoughts. I thought the greens were exceptional for this time of year. I also thought that we have way too many un-repaired ball marks for this early in the season. I thought the fairways and roughs played nicely, but thought that I made the correct decision to keep the ropes up for as long as we did. I also thought it was smart to keep all our mowing heights at there current settings until after we have the first frost. I thought that we could use more fertilizer, if I only had the budget. I thought that a good percentage of our players are using the gates, but I also realized that the gates will not eliminate the use of the unsightly ropes and stakes, as everyone was hoping. There are several wear patterns already starting to develop. The thought that we could eliminate the ropes and stakes was the main argument for using the gate system, which makes me think that the 90 degree rule is still the best system for our course and any course that has wall to wall cart paths. And finally, I thought it might be time for me to take a golf lesson.